ContinentaleIm Herrlig. A chance for preservation

location:  Zurich, Switzerlandyear:   2023program:climate adaptation and densification of a post-war neighbourhoodstatus:Master Thesis. Politecnico di Milano / ETH Zurich







Im Herrlig is a post-war cooperative housing neighbourhood in Zurich Altstetten. Postwar middle-class housing is quite peculiar in Switzeland: modernist typologies are fitted into the shape of long 2-3 storey pitched roof volume, which from the street appears as sweet Hüsli. Once a peripheral area, today Altstetten is a new centre of Zurich and one of the most developing areas in Switzerland. Im Herrlig is not enough dense for this location and it faces demolition and reconstruction: considering the loss of identity and the environmental impact of this operation, we developed a project to investigate the chance of densifying Im Herrlig without demolishing it. Questioning building regulations, we have devised a masterplan that introduces towers to fill the gaps between existing houses, thus creating a series of dynamic outdoor spaces. These towers, elevated on pilotis, ensure ground-level transparency and permeability, while their shadows help mitigate overheating. With this new configuration, the Hüsli of Im Herrlig could remain at the heart of the community for at least another century.